Joo Dee's Story
by ScribbleGalaxy
Summary: This is my interpretation on what Joo Dee could've been like before she become Joo Dee. Contains OCs. Rated T
1. The Letter

Legal stuff: I don't own anything, all rights go to their respective owners

I had to give all these characters names

Youngest Joo Dee- Sōng Shǒu, which means release — as in to let go of, in Chinese

Middle Joo Dee- Xiàn Zhì, which means limit in Chinese

Oldest Joo Dee- Zì Yóu, which, means freedom in Chinese

I also had to give their town a name; this is supposed to be somewhat like a fishing port.

I'm calling it, Xīn De Kāi Shǐ, which means new beginning in Chinese.

* * *

"Aren't you tired of living in Xīn De Kāi Shǐ?" Sōng Shǒu fell back on her bed. "Nothing interesting happens here! It's the same thing everyday; we get up, spend hours trying to catch a fish, go to bed, then repeat the process all over again!"

Xiàn Zhì rolled her eyes at her sister, "Yes, we all know that you want to go to Ba Sing Se."

Sōng Shǒu sat up, "What's not to like? There's the university, the architecture and it's the safest city in the Earth Kingdom!"

"Haven't you considered how much money it costs to go there? A trip to

there is very expensive," Xiàn Zhì argued.

There was a knock on their door. Zì Yóu opened the door. A man handed her a letter. He left and then she closed the door.

"It's from our mother," Zì Yóu waved the letter in the air.

"Let me read this," Xiàn Zhì grabbed the letter out of - Zì Yóu's hands, "She wants us to come to Ba Sing Se and visit her. It's about something really important," Xiàn Zhì said. "Our mother has finally decided to bring us back in the family." Xiàn Zhì smiled.

Sōng Shǒu scoffed, "I doubt she cares. If she did, we wouldn't be living here."

Xiàn Zhì glared at her sister, "But our mother couldn't support us when she dropped off here. Since she has more money now, she has decided to take care of us again."

"She never loved us," Sōng Shǒu argued. "Why else would she dump us here?"

"She loved me!" Xiàn Zhì bickered.

"Then why aren't you living with her?" Sōng Shǒu demanded.

"Because somebody–" Xiàn Zhì started to say.

"Sisters, there's more in the letter," Zì Yóu interrupted, "It says that she could only afford two tickets for the monorail."

"Oh," Xiàn Zhì said.

"I'll stay here," Zì Yóu volunteered.

"Are you sure?" Xiàn Zhì asked.

"I like this town. I don't like cities," Zì Yóu shrugged. "You both want to go more than I do anyway."

"It's settled, we're going to Ba Sing Se!" Sōng Shǒu exclaimed.

"Try not do anything stupid," Zì Yóu added.

"Oof!" Zì Yóu exclaimed as her sisters hugged her. "We love you, too," they said.


	2. Ba Sing Se

Youngest Joo Dee- Sōng Shǒu

Middle Joo Dee- Xiàn Zhì

Oldest Joo Dee- Zì Yóu

* * *

The next day in the afternoon…

Sōng Shǒu and Xiàn Zhì took their luggage and stepped off the monorail.

"Xiàn Zhì?" Somebody ran over to them. It was a woman with dark hair up in a bun and green eyes. She was wearing a dark green robe that covered her shoes.

"Mother!" Xiàn Zhì ran over, with Sōng Shǒu slowly following behind.

"I haven't seen you two in years!" Their mother exclaimed.

She looked at them up and down. "Sōng Shǒu, your hair is still mess. And you still have that ugly scar running down your face," she commented. "But Xiàn Zhì – you look beautiful! Look at those dimples!" their mother tugged on her cheeks, and then hugged Xiàn Zhì.

"What about me?" Sōng Shǒu asked.

Their mother ignored her; "I'm so excited to have you here! We're going to do so much together!" She gestured for them to follow her.

"I was able to finally afford this nice home in the Middle Ring," She added.

"Why did you invite us here anyway?" Sōng Shǒu changed subject.

"I'm getting remarried!" Their mother exclaimed.

"…Oh," Sōng Shǒu said. "Two months right after Dad died," Sōng Shǒu mumbled to herself.

"Who is it?" Xiàn Zhì asked eagerly.

"It's Pao, the nice man that owns the Pao Family Tea House." Their mother smiled.

"There's my house!" Their mother shouted.

She opened the door and the sisters set down their bags.

"It's so beautiful here!" Xiàn Zhì looked around the home.

"…Well, I'm going to go to the University," Sōng Shǒu opened the door. "At least, they'll appreciate me there," she muttered.

"Why would you want to go to the University?" Their mother asked, "That University is full of snotty people who think they know it all. Isn't that right, Xiàn Zhì?"

Xiàn Zhì looked at her sister's annoyed face and then at her mother's impatient face. Her mother's eyes were staring at her quizzically.

"What is your answer?" Their mother asked.

"…I think universities are ridiculous," Xiàn Zhì said.

Their mother smiled, "See? Your sister agrees with me. You should learn to act more like her.

Their mother went up to make tea. Then Sōng Shǒu stuck her tongue out at Xiàn Zhì. Xiàn Zhì weakly smiled and mouthed "Sorry."

Sōng Shǒu rolled her eyes, "I'm still going anyway," Sōng Shǒu left.

Their mother came back in the room, "Where is Sōng Shǒu?" she asked.

"She went to the University," Xiàn Zhì quickly said, "She wanted to visit it just once."

"…Fine. She can go," their mother paused, "But we're going to the Fancy Lady Day Spa!"

Xiàn Zhì cheered and they walked out of the house.

3 hours later….

The door opened, and Sōng Shǒu looked up from her tome.

"We should go back to the Spa soon!" Xiàn Zhì exclaimed as her and her mother walked back into the house.

"When did you do this?" Sōng Shǒu asked.

"You were out studying at the University… I guess it slipped my mind!" Their mother scratched the back of her head.

"You're lying. It never "slipped" your mind!" Sōng Shǒu argued.

"Sōng Shǒu, you can't remember everything," Xiàn Zhì whispered.

"I don't care!" Sōng Shǒu snapped.

"She," Sōng Shǒu pointed to their mother, "Never cared about me! It was always; "Oh, Xiàn Zhì! You're so beautiful! Look at your ugly sister! That scar that runs down her cheek is so hideous!" "But I'm not the ugly one here," Sōng Shǒu shook her head, "my mother is the one who is ugly. Her personality is ugly!"

Their mother hiccupped and tears started falling down her face.

"You see what you did," Xiàn Zhì pointed to their sobbing mother.

"Mom, it's going to be alright," Xiàn Zhì hugged her.

Their mother stepped outside with Xiàn Zhì following her.

A few minutes later, Xiàn Zhì came back in.

"Why are you so mad at Mom?" Xiàn Zhì asked.

"I told you that she doesn't love me," Sōng Shǒu pouted, "Never treated me as well as you."

"Sōng Shǒu, why does it matter?" Xiàn Zhì asked. "You have me and Zì Yóu."

Sōng Shǒu sighed. "I know." Sōng Shǒu weakly smiled. "I just don't understand why she always takes you everywhere and I'm always on my own. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong."

"Well, you haven't been the nicest to her," Xiàn Zhì commented.

"I know I'm not nice, but she isn't either," Sōng Shǒu turned away, "…Xiàn Zhì, I need some time alone."

Xiàn Zhì almost put her hand on her shoulder, but then turned away and went back outside.

Nighttime…

Sōng Shǒu looked around, nobody moved. She picked up her bags and then opened the door. The streets were quiet, but then…

"Sōng Shǒu!" Xiàn Zhì shouted. She froze, but kept going. Xiàn Zhì started jogging to catch up with her.

"I know you're mad about our mother, but you shouldn't be!" Xiàn Zhì called. Sōng Shǒu kept walking. The University was in the distance.

Then, two men came up to Sōng Shǒu. They had long black robes and a hat that concealed their faces. One of them was trying to bind her wrists.

Xiàn Zhì's eyes widened and she started running towards her sister, "Sōng Shǒu!" She turned around to look back at the house, but then she saw somebody from behind. They covered up her mouth, and she felt heavy metal being wrapped around her wrists. Suddenly, she felt tired and her struggling stopped. The men nodded to each other and took the sisters away.


	3. Zì Yóu

Youngest Joo Dee- Sōng Shǒu

Middle Joo Dee- Xiàn Zhì

Oldest Joo Dee- Zì Yóu

Nán xiào zhǎng- it literally translates to "principal of a private school" in Chinese

* * *

Two years later…

"I'm Joo Dee, welcome to Ba Sing Se," the woman waved to Zì Yóu as Zì Yóu entered the city. Joo Dee widely smiled, with her dimples showing. In addition, she wore a green headdress and matching robes.

"Do you know anybody named Sōng Shǒu or Xiàn Zhì?" Zì Yóu asked. "They've been missing for two years."

Joo Dee shook her head, still smiling. "No. But I can give you a tour of the wonderful city of Ba Sing Se."

"Thanks, but no," Zì Yóu walked away.

"What am I going to do…" Zì Yóu started pacing. "Who was the last person that saw them…?" Zì Yóu snapped her fingers. "Looks like I'll be paying our mother a visit."

Ten minutes later…

Zì Yóu sighed climbed the steps up to her mother's lavish home. The orange roof was adorned with yellow tiles and the building towered over Zì Yóu, who was quite tall. She knocked on the door. Their mother opened the door with a smile, until she noticed Zì Yóu was standing in the doorway.

"Have you seen my sisters?" Zì Yóu asked.

"I haven't seen them," her mother looked away, "One day, they disappeared." She reluctantly let Zì Yóu in.

Zì Yóu followed behind. "Did they leave anything behind?"

"Sōng Shǒu left this," her mother handed Zì Yóu a crumpled up letter.

Zì Yóu read it over. "She left for the University? Have you visited the University recently?"

Her mother wrinkled her forehead, "Why would I do that? That University is good for nothing."

"Apparently, you seem to think Sōng Shǒu was good for nothing as well." Zì Yóu crossed her arms.

"That's not true." Their mother rested a hand on Zì Yóu's shoulder.

"Then, what is? You never liked Sōng Shǒu and I as much as you liked Xiàn Zhì."

Her mother shook her head. "I don't know why I did, Zì Yóu. Maybe it was just that Xiàn Zhì always listened to me. She never argued with me and was always a good girl. On the other hand, you and Sōng Shǒu were more wild and rebellious. Xiàn Zhì was calmer than you two. Maybe I found her easier to handle... She became my favorite and I started doing everything with her… I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I was being unfair. It was wrong of me to do that." Her mother sniffled. "If I realized this earlier… Sōng Shǒu wouldn't be g-gone."

"It's alright. Apology accepted." Zì Yóu hugged her mother. "I promise, I will find them and bring them back home." Zì Yóu opened the door, "I'm going to the University. Goodbye." She mumbled, "I love you," before she closed the door.

Twenty minutes later…

"Come in." Nán xiào zhǎng, the headmaster of the Ba Sing Se University looked up from his paperwork. A plethora of dusty scrolls were stacked neatly on his desk. The room was spacious and much of it was very organized. And the headmaster removed his spectacles and cleaned them with the sleeve of his green robe.

Zì Yóu closed the door to his office. "Good afternoon, Headmaster. My name is Zì Yóu and I was wondering if I could ask you some questions."

Nán xiào zhǎng put his spectacles back on, "You're very forward, I see. What brings you here?"

"Do you know anybody named Sōng Shǒu or Xiàn Zhì?"

The headmaster shuffled through some scrolls. "No. Neither of them are enrolled here." He put a hand under his chin, "But if you're looking for somebody, I suggest you talk to the Earth King, Kuei."

"Thank you, sir." Zì Yóu bowed.

Thirty minutes later….

"You wish to have attendance with the Earth King?" Joo Dee asked. "That will take six to eight weeks." She smiled.

"What?!" Zì Yóu exclaimed. "This is a dire situation! There are people missing! An investigation should be conducted at once!"

Zì Yóu took in a deep breath. "Never mind."

Zì Yóu's mother's house…

"She's not at the University and apparently we'll have to wait six to eight weeks to even speak to the Earth King," Zì Yóu told her mother.

"What are we going to do?" Her mother asked.

"…The only way to see the Earth King is to sneak in." Zì Yóu sat up. "But wouldn't I get arrested for doing so?"

"It's probable. But I think it's necessary." Her mother started putting some things in a bag.

"Here." She handed Zì Yóu the bag, "I'm going to help you. In this bag are some gold ingots. You should be able to bribe yourself through if you get caught."

Zì Yóu took the bag. "Thank you."

Midnight…

Zì Yóu entered the Royal Palace in a black robe and a mask. She looked around; the area was empty. She searched through main hall and found nothing. The inner court was empty, as well as the throne room.

She heard footsteps and hid behind a pillar in the throne room. A person in a dark robe with a hat that hid their face - Zì Yóu watched him carefully. He looked different than the other palace guards, who had dark green armor and a plume on their heads, and he was making rounds.

He walked out of the throne room, with Zì Yóu following him. He exited the Palace and entered the Prison. The Prison was made entirely out of metal. Zì Yóu looked around; it was dingy and had little light. There were other men like him patrolling the thin hallway.

"Hey!" one of the guards called.

"Uh oh," Zì Yóu started running out of the Prison. The Dai Li were chasing after her. She started to sprint.

A grey bearded man was peacefully pushing a cart of cabbages through the city. He placed a cabbage onto his cart. Then, he picked up the handles and began to push the cart.

Zì Yóu accidently bumped into the cart, causing her to almost trip, and some cabbages fell off the cart. The Dai Li were close behind. She took a hold of his cart and pushed it towards the Dai Li.

The man cried, "My cabbages!"

Zì Yóu ignored him and kept running. Then she noticed another man with the same uniform was up ahead. She looked around and the Dai Li started to surround her. There were too many of them. She bit her lip and then put her hands up.

* * *

I haven't updated in such a long time. I'll try to ypdate more!


	4. Long Feng

Youngest Joo Dee- Sōng Shǒu

Middle Joo Dee- Xiàn Zhì

Oldest Joo Dee- Zì Yóu

* * *

Zì Yóu tugged at the surveyor's chains around her raw wrists. Still, the metal wouldn't budge. There didn't seem to be a way out. Nobody could hear her because of the gag on her mouth, nor could she even see anything because of the carefully tied blindfold around her head. She was tired of waiting, and she didn't know why she was there in the first place.

She looked up when she heard steady steps approach. Her cell door slowly creaked open. Although she couldn't see, she felt light being shone on her face. Then she felt the gag being lifted off her mouth.

"What do you want from me?" Zì Yóu demanded.

"What do you think?" Long Feng asked.

"Stop playing games! Why do you think I'd know?"

Long Feng laughed. "Think, Zì Yóu. What happens when somebody attempts to infiltrate a government facility?"

"You're going to execute me…?"

"Why would I?" Long Feng asked. He took a step away from Zì Yóu and whispered something to a guard.

"Have you met Joo Dee?" Long Feng turned back to her.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't they look familiar?"

"There's more than one?"

"Many."

Long Feng exited the cell. She heard more footsteps approach her cell. Then she felt the blindfold lifted off her head. She squinted in the bright light. The cell became cramped with four people in it. The two girls beside Long Feng were both dressed in the same exact green robe. Their eyes were dilated and emotionless, which looked odd when compared to the wide smiled plastered across their faces. Zì Yóu looked back and forth between the two. They looked alike, but one had dimples and the other had scar running down her cheek.

Zì Yóu wrinkled her forehead. She looked back at them, then at Long Feng. He grinned at her.

Zì Yóu's eyes widened. "…You're the reason why my sisters disappeared." She shook her head. "What did you do to them?"

"They are no longer your sisters. They're Joo Dees, designed to keep Ba Sing Se as peaceful as possible. Unlike the world outside."

"But you can't hide what's currently happening! Everybody must know about the War! You-"

"There is no war," her sisters said in unison. "Here, you are safe."

Zì Yóu turned away and looked back at Long Feng. "Why don't you want people to know about the war?"

"I wanted a utopian society. All this war, the suffering, the political unrest was getting in the way of that," Long Feng replied. "This was supposed to be a peaceful place in the Earth Kingdom. If there is no mention of war, there is no chaos. No chaos means that this will be a perfect place to be."

"Then why did you need my sisters?" Zì Yóu demanded.

"They were in violation of scheduled curfew. We can't have people snooping around the city, can we?" Long Feng asked the girls. They shook their heads in unison. Long Feng grabbed Zì Yóu by the wrist and led her out of the cell. "And you'll receive a similar fate."


	5. Echoes

Youngest Joo Dee- Sōng Shǒu

Middle Joo Dee- Xiàn Zhì

Oldest Joo Dee- Zì Yóu

* * *

"Let go of me!" Zì Yóu struggled against her sisters, Sōng Shǒu and Xiàn Zhì, who were carrying Zì Yóu down a long hallway. "Stop! This is all wrong!" Zì Yóu started kicking her legs. Her sisters were silent, yet maintained a grin on their faces. Zì Yóu looked at her sisters; they didn't seem to be listening.

They entered a dark room, with a single chair in the middle. Zì Yóu was thrown into the chair. She felt something wrap around her arms and legs. She furrowed her brow as the restraints were tightened.

"Sōng Shǒu, Xiàn Zhì…" Zì Yóu trailed off.

The sisters shook their heads, "I'm Joo Dee," they echoed in unison.

Zì Yóu frowned. "No, you're not! You're Sōng Shǒu, and Xiàn Zhì!"

"I'm Joo Dee," they repeated.

Zì Yóu thought she heard a change in their tone of voice. Something that sounded less like Joo Dee, and more like her sisters. Or perhaps it was her imagination…

She heard the sisters move away. In front of her, Sōng Shǒu stood in the middle of a metal circle, still smiling. Zì Yóu saw a lantern going around the circle. Sōng Shǒu was talking about something; but Zì Yóu wasn't listening. Zì Yóu turned away from the circle and kept her eyes closed as she spoke.

"Sōng Shǒu, Xiàn Zhì, I know you're in there somewhere," Zì Yóu tried to speak over Sōng Shǒu's drone. "You're not Joo Dees. Ba Sing Se is not wonderful; you're not safe here! You're Sōng Shǒu and Xiàn Zhì. You lived in Xīn De Kāi Shǐ, which you hated Xiàn Zhì." Zì Yóu nervously laughed. She heard Sōng Shǒu chanting louder. Zì Yóu tried to block it out and continued.

"Xīn De Kāi Shǐ was safe. …Ba Sing Se is not your home." Zì Yóu bit her lip; it didn't seem to be working. "You're my sisters. _I'm_ your sister."

She sighed. "I was supposed to watch out for you two. I failed miserably; I'm a horrible sister." Zì Yóu felt a tear run down her face. She took in a deep breath. In her head, Zì Yóu heard echoes saying, "_I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se. There's no war in Ba Sing Se. There is no war within the walls. Here we are safe. Here, we are free._" Zì Yóu ignored them, but they were becoming increasing louder. She could barely hear her own thoughts when she spoke.

"I need to tell you something, while I still have time, even if you can't hear me. …Listen closely, it might be the last time I say this," Zì Yóu weakly smiled. Her voice started shaking, "I – I… I lo-" Zì Yóu started to say.

The echoes were overwhelming her thoughts. All she could hear was Sōng Shǒu's voice. It was a mantra. And all too familiar. It seemed natural to say. She closed her eyes. Her pupils dilated. "I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se." Zì Yóu slowly started to smile.

* * *

This is not the end! I'm leaving you with another cliff hanger! Mwhaha! Anyway, the next chapter will have an unexpected guest…


	6. An Unexpected Guest

Large cabbage heads bounced around in a tiny cart. The wheels creaked with every turn. A man wheeled them into a dark room. Then he set down the cart down.

He began to walk back to the entrance, when suddenly; he felt a cabbage hit his head. The next second, he felt light punches to his back. He turned around, and tried to find the intruder.

The Dai Li agent attempted to use his rock glove but no avail. It stayed on his hand. He wrinkled his brow and tried to earthbend, but nothing happened.

While he was distracted, the intruder left the room. The intruder navigated the hallways carefully — hiding when an agent walked by.

20 minutes later…

"I'm Joo-" Zì Yóu smiled as a new person came in.

"I get it already!" the person exclaimed. "I heard enough of you people!" The figure approached Zì Yóu. "And you're not Joo Dee; you're Zì Yóu!"

Zì Yóu turned her head to the side. "Who's Zì Yóu?"

"You are." The intruder pointed to her. "We need to get out of here soon. Come on, let's go."

"But I must serve the Earth King!" Zì Yóu argued. The other girls nodded their heads.

"But you're not meant to serve the Earth King. And you're not Joo Dee either." The intruder took off their mask. "All of you are my daughters! I know I wasn't the best mother, but I'm here to make up for it!" The sister stared at her blankly. "…I'm sorry. This is my fault, isn't it?" She walked up to Sōng Shǒu. "I owe you my greatest apologies. I should have treated you better and I was being unfair." Her mother sighed. "The least I could do is apologize, even if you aren't really here. I'm sorry… about everything."

Sōng Shǒu's smile faltered. She shook her head. "…M-Mother?"

Her mother nodded. "That's me."

They hugged. "But what are you doing here? The Dai Li are dangerous!" Sōng Shǒu exclaimed.

"I'm here to save you and your sisters." Her mother replied. She approached her other daughters. "Help me out here."

Time skip

"We have to be careful," their mother warned. She stepped outside of the room. She gestured for her daughters to follow.

Sōng Shǒu tripped and alerted an agent. Their mother placed quickly jabbed her thumb and knuckles on the agent. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

"W-what did you just do?" Xiàn Zhì started shaking.

"It's chi blocking," their mother replied. She gestured towards the agent. "He's just unconscious. We should leave before anyone notices." They started running again.

"How did you know that we were here?" Sōng Shǒu asked.

"I know a former Dai Li agent. He led me here. He's an investigator, and lives a few towns away from the city." Her mother replied.

"Did he leave by choice?"

"Yes, he didn't approve of the Dai Li's ways. He said that they were twisted and cruel. But enough about that, we have to keep moving, he said he could only keep the entrance open for so long."

10 minutes later…

"The exit is over there." Sōng Shǒu pointed to it.

They started climbing the ladder. Zì Yóu, was first, followed by Sōng Shǒu, then Xiàn Zhì and their mother. Their mother pushed Zì Yóu, and Sōng Shǒu out. Just when she was going to push Xiàn Zhì out, two stone hands pulled her back down.

"No!" Zì Yóu screamed.

Below, Dai Li agents surrounded their mother. "It's too late…" Xiàn Zhì watched as the Dai Li agents bound her wrists behind her back.

Their mother gave them a weak smile. "I'll be fine."

Zì Yóu noticed Dai Li agents climbing the ladder. "We have to leave now!" Zì Yóu pulled Xiàn Zhì out. She grabbed her sisters' hands and started running.

The three girls sprinted to the outskirts of the city. Sōng Shǒu slumped against the wall. Zì Yóu was looking at the ground.

Xiàn Zhì looked over at Zì Yóu. "What are we going to do about Mother?"

"We'll be back one day, but we need to let the Dai Lee forget about us." Zì Yóu crossed her arms. "Until then, we have to stay away."

"…Alright." Xiàn Zhì sighed.

* * *

I doubt that the Dai Li would let in a random, *totally* unsuspicious cabbage cart. Maybe they wanted to stock up on food? If they did let things like this happen in the cartoon… well, I don't think Long Feng would still be "pulling the strings". The beginning was mostly for laughs anyway.

Here's a bit of explanation of why their mother was left behind. I wanted the story to fit in the canon plot, so there had to be a Joo Dee left to serve the Gaang. I thought it would show character development if she did.


End file.
